Deception of Love and Absence of Clarity
by Kyokon-n
Summary: Vowing to destroy Team Rocket, Mewtwo has taken on a human form to destroy the corporation he despises. His goal was clear at first; but once he is accepted his loyalties begin to shift and what he once saw as an enemy has now become his obsession. Rated M for violence and adult content
1. Chapter 1

Kyokon here! This is a revised version of a story I had uploaded (A Shift in Reality) I've changed the plot a little bit and revised the story accordingly. Remember to leave any reviews to help my writing or let me know if you like it!

 _People of Kanto had begun to avoid Lavender Town; because of the Pokémon Town it was assumed the entire town was haunted. A demon was said to live outside of the town, one that was terrifying but had never been seen. The church it lived in matched the town, it was once a dusty purple, but had been neglected and during its abandonment had faded to a pale gray. It was rarely visited when it was new, but after the town was dismissed it was closed and soon forgotten. It was surrounded with mystery, but fear of the one whom the townspeople called Hell's Wanderer kept anyone who was as curious as they were brave from venturing inside. Vines and weeds grew around the church, once beautiful stained glass was broken and lying in colorful pieces on the ground. Every door was boarded up. The wood was rotten and disintegrating away. The inside was dusty and dark. The roof leaked when it rained, the mildew creeped up the sides of what furniture remained. The pews inside were moldy and the cushions were ripped._

 _The attic of the church was the only reasonably well-kept thing in the building. It was inaccessible from the ground floor; the stairs that led to the attic had rotted away and the few pieces left couldn't hold the weight of any individual. The attic was sparsely furnished. A rickety table was in the center of the room, water was in a small jug and a few plastic bags from the local grocery store held trail mix and other food supplies. A bookshelf that was pushed against a far wall held various versions of the bible and several other novels – none of which were new. A thin pew mat was shoved into a small corner of the attic next to a stool that once had a back. Panels of the floor were missing; the disgusting floor below was clearly visible through the gaps in the wood. The roof wasn't in much better condition; a hole was the only light source in the attic and currently gave the room an eerie red glow from the sunset. Besides the recent shopping bags, there was no indication this was someone's home. Besides the books the room was minimalistic. There were no personal objects in the church._

 _The one who called this church home sat on the stool reading one of the bibles off the shelf. With each passing hour he grew more restless. By nightfall, it had grown too dark to read and he was too irritated to sit around. Getting up, he placed the book on the table and levitated up through the hole in the roof. With a shiver running down his spine he held his place in the air…And leaped. He hung in the sky for a moment before darting through the air towards Lavender Town,_ "It's getting cold..." _A deep, baritone voice quietly mumbled in telepathy._

 _It only took him a few seconds to get to the small town, but once he was there he panicked. Team Rocket grunts were swarmed around the Pokémon Tower. Three lounged around the doors of the building and several plainly dressed grunts were hidden around the city; but every red "R" that was embossed on their clothing stood out in the moonlight. Just the sight of the emblem was enough to make his blood boil… but he held his temper. He levitated over the Pokémon Tower with an expressionless face and concealed his presence. He was invisible to the grunts below but from his vantage point he could see everything._

"They're waiting for something…" _he thought to himself._ "There wouldn't be this many Rocket Grunts in one area unless they were planning something…" _He mused to himself for a moment longer, but something startled him and broke his concentration. In the distance he heard a strange noise; one he thought was a scream. A huge pulse of dark energy radiated through the area after the scream was silenced, and then it vanished as quickly as it appeared._

"I believe that was no coincidence." _He murmured._

…

She screamed.

Three Team Rocket Grunts chased the once Rocket Executive down Route 8. They shouted slurs at the terrified woman as she desperately tried evading them. She was close to exhaustion; she had been running for over an hour without stopping. Grunts had been chasing her from the Celadon City hideout, through Saffron City, and briefly caught her in the Magnet Train Station when she tried escaping to Johto. She tried everything she could to shake her former underlings, but now there was nowhere to hide: Route 8 was close to barren – and for her that was dangerous.

The fleeing woman ran towards Lavender Town, and in one last desperate attempt to rid herself of the grunts clipped a pokéball off her belt and spun on her heel. "Leave me alone!" She snarled, breathing heavy as she hurled the specially made Rocket Ball towards her three pursuers. Knowing what was in her arsenal, the grunts stopped chasing her and screamed before giving up on their chase and scattering around the route. The beast that was in her pokéball roared, fire licked its bared fangs and smoke billowed out of its mouth as it pinpointed a target.

"I know you'll find me soon!" The woman yelled to her pokémon. The last the woman saw of her pokémon were its nine purple tails whipping around as it fought to give its master a chance of freedom. Its red eyes turned to watch its trainer leave before turning its attention to the grunts and lighting the closest one on fire. As the first grunt stopped to roll on the ground, a second grunt was shot with a shadow ball from behind and fell to the ground wailing. The last grunt was hiding behind a tall patch of grass, assuming she was out of sight from the huge beast. It crouched down, and began stalking its last prey. Its tails were pressed to the ground and fire ignited in its chest as it poked a nose into the grass. The girl was quietly weeping, and because of her sobbing she didn't hear the grass rustling, and as the woman's pokémon leapt out of the grass the meek grunt began screaming instead of sobbing. The pokémon pinned her to the ground and sneered. Poisonous drool seeped out of its mouth and onto the frightened girl below it.

"Please! Please!" The girl wept. "Please let me go!"

" _You have put my master in jeopardy. That cannot be excused."_ The pokémon calmly said in telepathy. The grunt's screams were abruptly cut off by a wave of poisonous sludge vomited from the pokémon's mouth.

After every grunt had been killed, the beast heaved and spewed a large spray of fire on the route. The entire trail was engulfed in flames, and as the pokémon galloped away a guttural howl rose into the night sky.

" _My master… Where are you?"_

…

Its trainer ran through the west gates of Lavender Town as the route behind her bursted into flames. Her lungs burned from the smoke, her legs ached from the constant use, and her mind raced as she frantically looked around for safety. Without stopping she ran through the city and past the grunts, unaware they were exactly what she was trying to run from. When she sprinted past every grunt that was standing outside chased after her but with her head start she was a fair distance away. She ran past the east gates and into the forest, and without stopping she spun around to measure the distance between her and her pursuers. Deciding it was good enough, she jumped into the brush and crouched low into the ground.

"Where'd she go?" One grunt shouted.

"Giovanni wants her back _tonight,"_ " Another one groaned.

"We're not going to find her standing around, look all over the forest!" A third one ordered, and with that they all scattered.

Silently, the woman pushed a small branch out of the way so she could survey her surroundings. The only place to hide was a small church a few meters away, but she debated moving and risking giving away her hiding place. _"It's my only chance,"_ She thought, and with that she sprinted to the church.

She climbed into a window that one depicted Jesus; his arms outstretched almost as if he was offering the runaway his protection. She jumped towards the windows, and as she caught herself on the window sill glass shards dug into her palms. Shards of broken glass nipped at her arms as she twisted to topple herself into the building. As she fell a large shard of glass impaled her abdomen and broke off into her stomach. She winced in pain as she landed on the floor, then became frantic as the hem of her jeans got caught on a piece of the broken window. She began to panic, and frantically struggled to free her leg until she ripped her leg free. She crawled on her hands and knees on the mildew covered carpet and shimmied under the seat for protection. Once she had rolled under the seat, she ripped the glass from her stomach. A wave of nausea erupted and she lolled her head to the side in case she could not subside her queasy stomach. To try to salvage her ruined jeans she used the piece of glass to jaggedly cut her jeans into shorts that ended mid-thigh. After, she breathed heavily and curled into the fetal positon. She held her abdomen and tried to stop the blood; but it made no difference.

"Pyrus… Where are you?" She whispered.

…

He silently watched the woman sprint through the city and casually watched the slew of grunts desperately try to find her. He scoffed at how dumb they were; so far they had only looked in the forest. Not a single one had thought to look inside the church, when all they would have to do is look through one of the many broken windows. _"The grunts advantage is numbers, not skill or intelligence."_ He smirked. The grunts had begun to search in a different part of the forest, and once he decided it was safe he teleported into the church.

The smell of blood filled the entire room, it was strong enough to make his stomach churn and it didn't take him long to find the source; a large pool of blood was leaking from underneath one of the pews. He knelt to the ground, and as he ducked he saw a dirty foot being pulled back under the pew.

Glazed blue eyes stared up at him in fright, but she made no move to get up. _"She was the woman they were chasing,"_ he realized. He ducked back to get a closer look. One hand held her side, and the other was hidden behind her. He lifted a hand to touch her face, but her eyes flashed and turned vicious as the hidden hand tossed a pokéball towards him. A bright light flashed as the pokémon released itself, and for the first time, they both got a quick glance of each other.

Her wound was what caught his eye; it was very deep and clearly new. Blood oozed out of it and leaked onto the floor, it was deep – it wouldn't close on its own. He was so fixated on her injury he didn't notice the pokémon floating behind him until a shadow ball sent him toppling onto the pew. He groaned and picked himself up off the pew and stood up with a growl. He turned around, but his anger evaporated into shock as he stared at the _creature_ in front of him.

It was no pokémon he had ever seen before. It was a Gardevoir – or _was._ It had been mutated; what was once an elegant creature had been morphed into something far more sinister. Its body was still white, but what would have been a pale green was now an inky purple. Long claws and fangs shined in the dim light of the room. Sapphires took the place of eyes and a shard of the gem jutted out of its chest. It hissed at him, and the sapphires glowed as it formed another orb of energy. A ball of purple and pink energy crackled between its palms, _"Back away from her."_ A female voice hissed.

Hands up, he backed away from the injured woman and her mutant and into the middle of the room. The pokémon glared and bared her teeth as she watched him stare up at her. "She is injured. Rocket Grunts are chasing her and I followed her here. I did her no harm, see for yourself. She needs medical attention." He calmly stated. The mutant looked at him in confusion for a second before howling and firing the energy ball in his direction. He dodged and ducked to his knees. The ball of energy fell through a window pane and splintered wood off.

The Gardevoir flew towards him, howling in rage as she knocked him onto his back. He sputtered and choked for breath as a foot slammed on his throat. She screamed; the high pitch noise brought this ear drums close to bursting. In a desperate attempt to free himself; he kicked a leg up and knocked the pokémon towards him. He twisted and pinned her to the ground, _"Stop fighting!"_ He pleaded, but was shot in the stomach with a bright blast of fairy energy. She then latched onto his arm with her sharp teeth and bit hard.

He levitated up and flung his arm out behind him, and to his luck, the enraged mutant let go. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the injured woman crawling to the front doorway. A good idea; but she was unaware that they were boarded up from the outside. Her pokemon stood on the floor and glared, palms up as she charged an orb of psychic energy – but she lost control. A howl and a crash lost her focus and the orb exploded into the room, leaving everyone in it momentarily blind.

When his vision came back to him, he saw what made the mutant lose her focus. A wall had splintered and caved in around a large purple fox. Black smoke seeped in between sharp white teeth as the beast growled, and shot flames across the room towards him. The fox leaped through the dark fire, seemingly unphased by the deadly flames. It pounced and knocked him out of the air. The pokémon grinned evilly at its prey – then its trainer screamed in terror.

" _Celeste!"_ The mutant Gardevoir hissed frantically before both pokémon turned to their trainer.

Burning wood and black flames surrounded the woman, her skin ashen in the glow of the flames. She knelt on her hands and knees, one hand on her wound while the other wobbled under her. He watched as both pokémon leapt to the woman's aid, and their frantic reaction to her murmuring something inaudible and slumping to the ground. The mutated Gardevoir carefully picked up the unconscious woman and draped her over the foxes back, and once she was stable they both began to carefully make their way through the fire to the hole in the wall the fox created. The Gardevoir followed the air behind the two, blocking the fire with her energy. The fox and woman silently left the burning building, but the mutated Gardevoir stopped out of the air and looked toward her enemy.

" _You are not human… and you look familiar… You are from Team Rocket, are you not?"_ She said. _"If you are no threat to Celeste, you may come with us, stranger."_

" _Team Rocket,"_ He thought to himself. _"And what are they?"_ He looked around himself at the church burning around him. It had been his home for quite some time, but it would be nothing but a pile of ashes soon and he needed to escape before he was trapped inside. With no other option, he weaved through the black flames to the only exit.

" _Be warned."_ The Gardevoir stood in the doorway, her ruby eyes cold and her voice filled with ice, _"I will stop at nothing to protect my master. I failed tonight, and that_ will not _happen again."_

" _I have no intention of hurting this…_ Celeste…" He paused in the doorway. _"But I expect the same favor to be extended to me. I was caught off guard and attacked in my home."_

" _What are you?"_ She asked cautiously. _"You are no mix of pokémon I have ever seen before."_

He took a minute to think about her question. _"I am no mix of pokémon. I am an artificial life… The second of the greatest pokémon ever born. I am the strongest pokémon in the world…"_

" _I am Mewtwo."_


	2. Chapter 2

The fox had led them to a small graveyard behind the Pokémon Tower. It was resting against a gravestone, and watched both pokémon warily as they approached. Celeste was leaning against its side but she was still unconscious. Blood oozed out of her wound and stained the pokémon's fur and the ground below.

 _"_ _What is he doing here?"_ It snarled, protectively wrapping four of its nine tails around the unconscious trainer. Mewtwo noted this pokémon was female too as smoke plumed out of the fox's jaws.

 _"_ _Pyrus, look at him."_ The Gardevoir said, _"He is one of the created, not one of the born."_ She sat on the ground next to her trainer and assessed the damage on her. _"How is she?"_

The fox, Pyrus, looked over to Mewtwo. The malice in her eyes never changed, but she relaxed. _"She is hurt Rubis, Badly."_ She added, moving her tails to show the other pokémon.

 _"_ _I can heal her."_ Mewtwo offered. _"It will only do so much, but I will heal her if only to keep from getting burned alive."_ He grumbled, looking at Pyrus for approval. Pyrus gave no indication that she was willing to let him help, but Rubis motioned him over.

 _"_ _Let him."_ She said gently, but her tone made it clear it was an order. _"He is a Rocket refugee as well."_ She explained. She used recover on herself as she spoke, her burned flesh healed instantly, with only scarred skin and scabs left in their place.

Mewtwo kneeled beside the woman and studied the wound. It was deep, and the skin was raw and jagged. Her torn shirt left most of it exposed so he only had to brush away scraps to see the entire damage. _"This will leave an ugly scar."_ He calmly said. He pressed a palm on the wound, causing Celeste to moan slightly in her sleep. As he used recover the blood stopped and the skin knit back together. Uncomfortable with how intently the pokémon were staring at him, once he was done he backed away slightly and sat down next to another gravestone. _"The wound will break open if strained so she will have to be careful."_ He explained.

 _"…_ _Thank you."_ Pyrus mumbled. He nodded a response but his focus was on Celeste. He was still baffled at how a woman was looked like she was barley a legal adult was so sought after by Kanto's largest crime organization. Her head was resting on her pokémon's shoulder. Her face wasn't contorted in pain like it was before, but she still looked uncomfortable.

 _"_ _We will have to leave soon."_ Rubis broke the silence, looking over to Route 8. The trail was still engulfed in flames. _"Will you be coming with us?"_ She turned to Mewtwo. Her sapphire eyes gleamed in the moonlight.

 _"_ _He will only come with us if he will help us. If he will not, he will only be a burden."_ Pyrus snapped. Her tails flicked in irritation beside her. _"She will not be safe with so many to look after."_

Mewtwo glared at the fox. She snorted smoke at him and lowered herself onto the ground. Celeste slumped down on top of her, and soon Pyrus began to snore.

 _"_ _She can be a bit rude, but our master's safety is her primary concern."_ Rubis said with a small smile.

 _"_ _Callous seems to be the least she is."_ Mewtwo replied. _"Where will you be going? What are you doing in the first place?"_ He asked. _"Do you not realize how dangerous Team Rocket is?"_ While he could do without the mutated fox, he was curious what they were and what they were doing, and he still couldn't figure out their relationship to Team Rocket…

 _"_ _That… remains to be decided."_ Rubis admitted. _"As I'm sure you can guess we are trying to escape Team Rocket. Celeste wishes to destroy the company, and with it their cruel experiments like us."_ She motioned to herself and then Pyrus.

 _"_ _What exactly are you?"_ Mewtwo asked carefully.

 _"_ _What are you?"_ She met his cautious gaze with one of her own.

 _"_ _I am Mewtwo."_ He answered simply.

Rubis looked down in thought, before looking back to him. _"The second of Mew… is that correct?"_ She asked.

 _"_ _Yes,"_ He began, _"And that is all. I am a clone of Mew, and nothing more."_

 _"_ _Then I was wrong. You are not one of the Tribestia."_ She realized, staring intently at him.

Mewtwo couldn't help but stare at the shard of ruby that seemed to be impaling her, _"You are like no pokémon I have ever seen before."_ Rubis noticed his staring, and sadly put a hand on her chest. Momentarily embarrassed, he continued, _"What is a Tribestia?"_

 _"_ _Team Rocket's creation. A tri-type pokémon. We have the best qualities of two pokémon, thus giving a trainer a better balance to their team. Celeste specializes in ghost type pokémon, her entire team is a hybrid of a ghost type pokémon."_ She rested her other hand on Pyrus' head, _"We are Sablevoir and Gentails."_

 _"_ _You are a Sableye and Gardevoir hybrid I presume?"_ Mewtwo guessed, and was met with a nod.

Moving both hands to rest in her lap, Rubis elaborated, _"Pyrus is the offspring of a Gengar and Ninetails mix."_ She stopped, then sighed and bared her fangs, _"We are monsters."_ She whispered.

Mewtwo could barely see Celeste in the moonlight, but he wasn't impressed by her so far. _"She is so frail."_ He thought, looking over her only to realize she had seven pokéballs clipped to her belt. _"If Team Rocket is going to such lengths to find her, I take it she is no grunt?"_ He asked her pokémon.

 _"_ _She was an Executive. She worked alongside Giovanni himself, but she was unhappy. She is not the monster her position portrays her to be."_ Rubis lowered her head, _"She is a wonderful trainer, and I have no doubt that any of us would gladly give our lives to protect hers."_

Mewtwo remembered the years he was Giovanni's servant, and how long he fought to escape from Team Rocket. He knew what a long journey freedom was, but also how wonderful it would be when they finally had it. It was undeniably worth it. _"You are devoted. While I would never consider myself to have had a trainer, I can respect a woman who takes such good care of her pokémon."_

 _"_ _We are not natural, but she has loved and cared for us since we were created."_ Rubis remembered fondly. _"I will do whatever it takes to ensure her freedom… and I would greatly appreciate it if you would help us bring Team Rocket to an end. You know as well as I do they need to be stopped."_ She said fiercely, but with a hint of pleading in her voice.

Mewtwo stayed silent. He wasn't sure if he wanted to get involved in this woman's chaos, or Team Rocket. He wanted Team Rocket to disband again, but he wasn't sure if _he_ wanted to be the one to do it.

Sensing his apprehension, Rubis put a hand on his foot and smiled softly, _"You do not have to make a decision now. Rest, and in the morning you may come with us if you wish."_ She levitated into the air and twisted into a meditation pose. _"I will be awake standing watch,"_ she explained, _"we will be safe."_

In that moment, Mewtwo realized how weary he was. Sighing, he closed his eyes…. It only took him a few minutes to fall asleep.

 _"_ _Maybe he will be the push we need to disband Team Rocket… Deep down, I can tell he still holds a vicious grudge for all he has endured by Giovanni's hands…"_ Rubis mumbled to herself once she knew Mewtwo was sleeping. _"Maybe he… and Celeste… can finally say they are free."_

 _…_

Morning came quickly, and when it did Mewtwo woke up to blinding sunlight and both Tribestia missing. Celeste slept soundly beside a gravestone, sprawled out and blissfully unaware of her missing pokemon. Stretching slightly, Mewtwo finally got a clear view of Celeste – but was shocked with her current state.

Pale, emaciated flesh was stretched tight against her bones: her wrists, ankles, and collar bone stuck out grotesquely. It was clear she hadn't been eating well for a while. Dark eye makeup was smeared across her eyes, and her black nails were broken and bloody. Her white hair was shoulder length and hung in short, dirty, curls, stringy with oils and messy from her recent lack of hygiene. Her clothes were caked with blood and dirt, her black top with the familiar red "R" printed on it hung loosely on her from the rips and her weight loss. The wound that he healed the night before was closed, but far from completely healed and left an ugly red slash across her stomach. Her exposed legs were covered in small cuts and bruises. Her left arm was splayed out in front of her, and showed three rows of small black crosses tattooed on her forearm; circling her wrist, mid-forearm, and below her elbow. Her pokéballs were strapped to a loose belt wrapped around her waist, but hers were unique. The small spheres were black on the top half and white on the bottom, with a shiny red "R" etched into the top half.

 _"_ _This wasted human… was once one of Team Rocket's most powerful members…"_ He thought. He stared in awe for a few minutes before curiously drawing his attention to Route 8. The trail was charred and barren, it was completely unrecognizable. He stared for a moment longer but was startled when Pyrus and Rubis appeared suddenly in front of him.

Rubis nodded towards Mewtwo, _"Good morning,"_ She said.

Pyrus trotted over to Celeste and began nudging her. _"We have searched around the area, there are no Team Rocket members around here."_ Pyrus stated flatly. _"If you are coming with us we are leaving shortly."_

Celeste groggily sat up and looked around. Her eyes were ice blue and glassy, and filled with confusion as she looked around. "What happened" What's going on?" She asked.

 _"_ _You have been unconscious most of the night and you are wounded."_ Rubis explained.

 _"_ _We have made sure you will safely make it to the Magnet Train."_ Pyrus added. With that, Celeste turned to her pokémon and scratched behind her ear.

"I knew you'd find me." She grinned. "And… What is that?" She glanced at Mewtwo.

 _"_ _I am Mewtwo."_ He replied with slight irritation being referred to as _that_. _"I will be accompanying you for a short amount of time."_ He added. Rubis noticeably smiled at his revelation.

 _"_ _He is from Team Rocket too,"_ Rubis told her, perking Celeste's attention. _"He healed the gash in your stomach."_

Celeste touched her abdomen, then stood up. "Thank you, Mewtwo." She said warmly, but cautiously. Standing up, she was no more than 5'3, but she stared up at him and stuck a dirty hand out to shake his paw. "If you're from Team Rocket, then you're welcome to come along with us."

Shaking her hand, he gave a small grunt as a response. He was shocked at how readily she accepted him. _"I watched you being chased and saw you injure yourself crawling through the church window. I am not heartless; I will help a creature in need… even if it is a human."_ He added.

She snorted and put her hands on her hips. "Well, I appreciate it. I'll return the favor someday if you stick around. I'm trying to get to Johto. I can't risk staying in Kanto anymore, it's getting too dangerous for my pokémon and I." She stretched, then winced when she stretched her stomach too much _._

 _"_ _Then let's go. We can get to the Magnet Train within an hour, and to Johto by tonight."_ Pyrus broke in. _"Let's not linger."_

"You're right. Rubis, will you change so I can keep you out?" She asked. Rubis nodded, and Mewtwo watched in awe as her form changed. She became human, and looked beautiful, but ordinary. Her hair was a deep purple and framed her face, bangs surrounded her sapphire blue eyes and her form was covered in a purple dress covered by a form fitting white jacket that ended mid-thigh. White flats covered dainty feet and a ruby pendant was dangling around her neck.

"I'm ready," her physical voice was softer than her psychic, and as she tucked her short hair behind her ears she asked if Mewtwo had the same ability. "It would make traveling much easier," she explained.

 _"_ _Yes,"_ he replied then changed as she did.

Years ago, he created the perfect disguise. His illusion was concrete; his physical voice had become just as smooth as his psychic one. If someone casually brushed up against him they would feel skin, not fur. His hair and eyes were still the exotic shade of violet, and his stature was still that of an above average male. He clothed himself in a basic white t-shirt and black pants. When he was done changing, he brushed his shirt off and looked at Celeste. "I suppose we are ready to go." He stated, then coughed. He wasn't used to using his voice.

"Not bad," Celeste momentarily admired his new form before unclipping a pokéball from her belt. "Pyrus, I'll let you back out if I need anything."

 _"_ _Goodbye for now, Master,"_ She said before being returned to her pokéball.

"Well, let's go then." Celeste decided as she clipped the pokéball back.

As they began walking, Mewtwo contemplated if he had made a smart decision.


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take the travelers long to get to Saffron City, but once they did Celeste insisted on going straight to the Pokécenter.

"They have TV's that play the news there, and I need to take a shower." She insisted as they walked through the doors of the center.

"Would you like me to get you some new clothes?" Rubis asked, "There's a Pokémart nearby."

Celeste nodded, "Thank you. Mewtwo, will you stay and watch the news, and let me know if there's anything we should be careful of?" She said over her shoulder as she walked up to the front counter.

Without replying, Mewtwo dropped himself on one of the plush red couches scattered around the pokémon center lobby. He rested an arm on the armrest and propped his head against his hand. "I won't be long," Rubis told him before she left as well. He waved a lazy goodbye before glancing over to Celeste. The front desk receptionist looked appalled at how dirty Celeste was, and without hesitation she handed her a towel and a small bag of toiletries as she pointed down a hallway.

Mewtwo turned his attention back to the TV just as a news update came on. "Last night a fire destroyed all of Route 8 and part of Lavender Town," A perky woman in a bright pink suit loudly proclaimed. He scoffed at her exaggeration, the fire didn't make it all the way to Lavender Town. "We suspect it was started by a Team Rocket affiliate," then a picture of Celeste flashed on the screen. Mewtwo noted that it wasn't a recent picture, she wasn't as skinny and she was dressed in an embellished Team Rocket Uniform. "She has a team of highly skilled pokémon and she is known to be a killer. If you see any sightings of her, please report it immediately." Her picture disappeared from the screen as the reporter moved on.

He sat up immediately, "Now, in other news, the Viridian City Gym is now open for trainers to challenge. It's leader Giovanni has returned from Johto and will be accepting challengers as of three pm today. This will be reliving news to many trainers, as the Viridian Gym is only open seasonally and is the final badge for many participating in the Gym Challenge." The thought of Giovanni made his blood boil, but he held his temper. He was deep in thought when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Hey, did you happen to see what the news said?" Nurse Joy asked. She looked at him warmly, "I couldn't hear it from my desk, did they say anything about the fire on Route 8?"

"No," he lied. "It was just an update on the Viridian Gym," he added slowly.

"Oh," she sounded disappointed, "Well thanks anyway, have a nice day." She finished before walking back to the desk. Mewtwo's gaze went back to the TV, but his mind was wandering.

 _"Giovanni has no right to call himself a Gym Leader."_ He thought. Memories of slaughtering innocent pokémon flashed in his mind. Trainers on their knees sobbing as their pokémon drew their last breath on the floor of the Viridian Gym. Giovanni laughing coldly as he wiped their blood off his orange suit, _"Keep training then come back,"_ Is all he would say before he would walk back through the steel doors leading to the private area of the Gym. _"He must be stopped,"_

And with that, Mewtwo finally thought of a plan. All he would have to do is convince Celeste to go along with it…

…

"Three weeks!" Giovanni roared, slamming his fist down onto his mahogany desk. "She's been gone three weeks! Every grunt we've sent after her has ended up dead or missing, _"What have you been doing?"_ He rumbled.

Archer slunk down in his chair. "We've been doing everything we can. Her pokémon are powerful, and you know how crafty she is." He urged, "We'll find her sir, she was last seen in Lavender Town, she couldn't have gone far!"

"I don't care where she was seen, I want to see her in this office! She is valuable and carrying stolen property!" Giovanni paused, and calmed himself just as a maid walked into the room. "I need her back. As soon as possible." He hissed through his teeth. He eyed the maid as she poured him a drink, and watched her leave as he slowly took a sip from his drink.

"We will find her Giovanni; it's just taking a little more time than we expected. All of the Executives are leaving tonight to search for her. Maybe we can talk some sense into her. We still don't really know why she left in the first place." Arianna added from the doorway. She flipped her red hair over her shoulder and continued, "If you do find her, let me talk to her. We were close. If anyone can talk some sense into her it's gonna be me," She finished smugly.

"I'm tired of talking and what if's! Go find her, NOW!" Giovanni threw his glass at the wall and the Executives scattered at the assault. As they scrambled down the hallway he straightened his suit jacket and picked up the phone.

As it rang, he pulled out one of his own creations, the Rocket Ball, and rolled it around in his palm. "Celeste…I had such high hopes for you. I hope this is just a momentary lapse of judgment…"

"Hello, yes? I need a maid in here please. Someone has made a terrible mess."

…

 _"Thank you Mewtwo… really. You're risking more than I am in this. You have your freedom, and yet you're risking it to ensure mine and my pokémon's." Celeste touched his human hand as she spoke and she looked at him in a way that almost made his heart melt; but instead it sent a chill down his spine. Guilt radiated through him…_

 _"Please, Celeste, do not look at me like that." He murmured. "Please… do not hate me for this… I beg you will understand."_

 _He cupped her face in his hands, "Please forgive me."_

 _After that, she screamed._

…

Mewtwo strode through Viridian City towing Celeste behind him. Her belt was tied around her wrists and her pokéballs were stuffed in Mewtwo's pockets. Celeste screamed and twisted trying to escape Mewtwo's grasp, but he kept a firm hand on her.

"Let me go!" She pleaded, _"Who are you?"_ She wailed.

"Who I am is of little concern to you, now hush. We are almost there." Mewtwo threatened. He pushed her in front of her and shoved her roughly after she tried biting him. He pushed his guilt and reservations aside as he walked through the automatic doors of the Viridian Gym. The Gym was the same as the last time he was there; a dirt packed, rubble covered floor was the battle grounds, a red armchair where Giovanni would sit was across the entrance, and thick steel doors where Giovanni would swagger out of was shut tightly.

Mewtwo could picture him slinking through those doors. Giovanni's arrogant sneer was prevalent in his mind as he bellowed out, "Where is the Gym Leader?" One by one, the stadium lights clicked on, and with them, Celeste became more and more hysteric. His once ally appeared in the metal doorway just as anticipated. To anyone else, the silhouette of Kanto's final and most challenging Gym Leader was terrifying as best, but to Mewtwo he was nothing more than a con man and a disgusting human being.

"Please, no," Celeste begged, "Don't let him see me!"

"Are you here to challenge the Viridian Gym?" Giovanni asked. He remained in the doorway, but his cold eyes and his evil grin could be seen from where Mewtwo was standing across the room.

"No." Mewtwo paused. Giovanni began to chuckle – "I'm here to make a proposition to you."

Giovanni fell silent, then stepped into the room. His eyes flashed as he saw Celeste, "Ah… what do we have here?"

"I will trade you this woman for a place in your organization. I know of Team Rocket, and I know how desperately you have been looking for her." Mewtwo pulled the sobbing Celeste out off of the ground.

"Celeste… you have caused quite a commotion. But I am glad to have you back nonetheless… And how would you be of any use to me?" Giovanni asked. He crossed his arms and strode down the stairs towards Mewtwo.

Mewtwo raised an arm, and with it all of the rubble in the room levitated into the air, "I have many skills, psychic abilities being one of them." His eyes glowed, "I could be of great use to you."

Giovanni stood in front of them both, then raised Celeste's chin with a finger. "I have been looking all over the region with you… but all I had to do is wait for this young man to bring you to me… What is your name?" He asked Mewtwo.

Mewtwo momentarily stumbled, he had this all planned out but he never even considered a _name._ "Utsu," he blurted out, but Giovanni didn't notice his slip up. "My name is Utsu."

'Well, Utsu… Welcome to Team Rocket."

. . .

Giovanni practically dragged Celeste down the Rocket dorms, past the grunt quarters and into the executive wing. Here was Celeste's luxury apartment, and once Giovanni had unlocked the door he threw Celeste on her own floor.

"What were you thinking? Do you know how long I've looked for you!" He shouted at the cowering woman.

She picked herself up and sat on the floor, _"I don't know, okay?_ I just couldn't be here any longer!"

"Stop acting like a rebellious teenager and start acting like the executive you are!" He commanded as he slammed the door shut. "We were _worried_ about you!" Then, Giovanni had a moment of weakness: "I was worried." He finally admitted.

Celeste was shocked at his words. Her anger evaporated, instead, he was just confused. "Worried…" she trailed off and looked towards the floor.

"Yes, Celeste… Worried, I even went to Johto myself to look for you." He lowered himself to the floor to help pick her up off of it. "I have given you much more than many working here," he said, looking over the apartment he so graciously had given her. It was lavish, if anything. Her entire apartment was adorned in red, black, and gold. He brought in a decorator just for her apartment, just to make Celeste _happy_. "I have brought you to the position that you are in now, I have specially crafted you a team of pokémon that will terrify any of our enemies." He paused, "I did it all for you."

"Yeah…" she mumbled. She looked at the TV that was hanging on the wall and all of the expensive furniture decorating the apartment.

"And my generosity is not over yet. This is for you," he said, handing her the Rocket Ball he had been carrying around the past few weeks. "She is young, but she is yours."

In awe at Giovanni's behavior, she gratefully took the ball from him before straightening up, "I want the rest of my pokémon from that freaky psychic man." She growled.

"Ah yes, him, I wanted to ask you about him… Where did he find you?" He curiously asked.

He leaned on the doorframe as she began talking. "I can't really remember… I remember going into Lavender Town but after that it's a little fuzzy. I think he did some kind of psychic thing on me, I'm still feeling a little weird." She held her head as she spoke.

Giovanni put a hand on her shoulder, "Then rest. We will have a meeting tomorrow to discuss your, eh, punishment, shall we say?" Celeste paled and Giovanni's grip grew tighter, "And Celeste?"

"Yes?" She meekly replied.

"If a slip up like this happens again… I will not tell your pursuers to bring you back alive." He said coldly.

"Enjoy your new pokemon." He said as he left. Celeste locked the door behind him then sank to the floor, and cried.


End file.
